Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Is the NFL Truly Full of Parody?

For those who live and breathe NFL action, you might have
come across a recent Yahoo online
piece, wondering who the next Super Bowl champion might be.

Getting directly to the point, which of the teams that have
never won the title would find themselves capturing a
first-ever Lombardi Trophy?

As it stands now, 14 of the current era 32 teams have never
taken the trophy home with them, a rather astounding number if you stop and
think about it.

If you are not up to speed on your Super Bowl history, it can
be noted that Pittsburgh is the only franchise to win six, with Dallas and San
Francisco tied at five.

Among those never to get to the big dance, you have
Cleveland, Detroit, Houston and Jacksonville.

Those who have reached the biggest game of the year, that is
only to walk home with the moniker of second best, include Minnesota and
Buffalo (both 0-4), Cincinnati and Philadelphia (both 0-2), and one-time losers
Arizona, Atlanta, Carolina, San Diego, Seattle and Tennessee. Other than New
Orleans capturing the trophy in Super Bowl XLIV, there has been no first-time
champ in the last decade.

So, what gives with nearly half of the NFL’s teams still
coming up empty or not even getting to the big game in February?

While free agency does certainly have an impact on the league
today more so than back when Pittsburgh (1970s), San Francisco (1980s) and
Dallas (1990s) were the dominating teams, a number of factors goes into 14
teams never claiming a title.

In looking at a number of the group of 14, you have things
like bad draft choices, untimely injuries to the team’s superstar, an
unwillingness in some of the smaller markets for owners to spend a ton of
money, and being in the wrong division at the wrong time.

The Mistake
By the Lake

If you use the Browns as an example, here is a franchise (the
original Browns, not the team formed in the aftermath of moving to Baltimore)
that has not always drafted well, not been able to lure big-time free agents,
and plays in a division (AFC North) where it must contend with Baltimore,
Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati on a regular basis. When you add up all those
factors, life can be difficult by the lake.

Another factor that has hampered some clubs is getting off to
slow starts, then if they are lucky enough to make the playoffs, potentially
going one-and-done on the road. Although both this season’s Super Bowl
participants (Baltimore and San Francisco) showed that they could win big
playoff games on the road, it never hurts to get that 12th man behind you come
playoff time.

In looking at the teams that have either never won a Super
Bowl or even gotten there for that matter, none of the 14 jumps out at me as a
bona fide Lombardi Trophy contender anytime soon.

For those who love old-school football, a Cleveland vs.
Detroit Super Bowl would be enticing, but the odds of that happening in the
near future are as great as New England head coach Bill Belichick dressing like
the late Tom Landry on the sidelines.

Of the 14 who have never won a Super Bowl, who will be the
next to break through?

About the Author: With 23 years’ writing
experience, Dave Thomas covers a variety of consumer and business topics,
including finding the bestroofing
contractors.